U.S. patent number 8,140,393 [Application Number 11/609,352] was granted by the patent office on 2012-03-20 for personal casting service.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sony Corporation. Invention is credited to Hiroyuki Hanaya, Toshinori Nakamura, Takahiko Sueyoshi, Mototsugu Tsutsui, Nobuyuki Uchiyama, Takao Yoshimine.
United States Patent |
8,140,393 |
Yoshimine , et al. |
March 20, 2012 |
Personal Casting Service
Abstract
A profit redistribution device, profit redistribution method,
program storage medium, profit redistribution system, content
providing device, content providing method, program storage media,
and content providing system are disclosed. Profits redistribution
processing is performed according to the accumulated points
proportionate to the number of times the content with a commercial
video is provided to a client PC 4. Thus, a fair profit
redistribution can be easily performed. A preset content with a
commercial video is provided to a user when requested from the
client PC 4, and it is possible to surely provide advertisement
information without the user being aware of the commercial.
Inventors: |
Yoshimine; Takao (Kanagawa,
JP), Tsutsui; Mototsugu (Kanagawa, JP),
Sueyoshi; Takahiko (Tokyo, JP), Nakamura;
Toshinori (Kanagawa, JP), Hanaya; Hiroyuki
(Kanagawa, JP), Uchiyama; Nobuyuki (Kanagawa,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Sony Corporation (Tokyo,
JP)
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Family
ID: |
26589146 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/609,352 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2006 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070083435 A1 |
Apr 12, 2007 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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09819965 |
Mar 28, 2001 |
7761330 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 30, 2000 [JP] |
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2000-097880 |
Mar 30, 2000 [JP] |
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2000-097885 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.72;
709/219 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q
30/0276 (20130101); G06Q 30/0274 (20130101); G06Q
30/0251 (20130101); G06Q 30/0264 (20130101); H04N
21/6175 (20130101); H04N 21/812 (20130101); H04N
21/858 (20130101); H04L 63/08 (20130101); G06Q
20/10 (20130101); G06Q 30/0633 (20130101); H04N
21/47202 (20130101); G06Q 30/0241 (20130101); G06Q
30/02 (20130101); G06Q 30/0222 (20130101); G06Q
30/0277 (20130101); H04L 63/102 (20130101); H04N
21/2547 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06Q
30/00 (20060101); G06F 15/16 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;705/14.72 ;709/219 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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9-18851 |
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Jan 1997 |
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JP |
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10-164550 |
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Jun 1998 |
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JP |
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11-155137 |
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Jun 1999 |
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JP |
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11-284977 |
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Oct 1999 |
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JP |
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11-312272 |
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Nov 1999 |
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JP |
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2000-13524 |
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Jan 2000 |
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JP |
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Other References
"Interactive TV, Marketers Will Have Synergistic Relationship",
Multimedia Week , v 3 , n 20 , p. N/A, May 16, 1994. cited by
examiner .
HOOPS!: Guide line, [online], Nov. 28, 1999[Jul. 29, 2009
searched], Internet
<URL:http://web.archive.org/web/19991128072052/www.hoops.ne.j-
p/guide.html>, 4 pages. cited by other .
Sterne, Jim, "What makes people click: Advertising on the Web"
(Indianapolis IN: Que Corp., 1997): 25. cited by other .
Definition of "refund", Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary,
10.sup.th ed. (Springfield MA: Merriam-Webster, 1997). cited by
other .
Hakuhodo Interactive Company Co., Ltd., Internet Marketing to be
Understood by an Illustration, Japan Management Association
Management Center, Feb. 1, 2000, First Edition, pp. 248-251. cited
by other.
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Primary Examiner: Champagne; Donald L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier
& Neustadt, L.L.P.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A method comprising: receiving, at a server, a video for
streaming by the server from a user through a communication channel
between the server and a computer; transmitting, at the server, a
user interface to the computer, the user interface enabling the
user that provided the video for streaming to the server to
indicate, with a button on the interface, whether an advertisement
is reproduced with the video for streaming; and receiving, at the
server, an instruction indicating, with a button on the interface,
whether the user that provided the video for streaming to the
server allows the advertisement to be reproduced with the video for
streaming.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the
server, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server selecting the advertisement that is
reproduced with the video for streaming.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the
server, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server indicating a company that sponsors the
advertisement that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing money to
the user that provided the video for streaming to the server based
on a number of times the video is streamed by the server.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing money to
the user that provided the video for streaming to the server based
on a number of times the video is reproduced by a computer
communicatively coupled to the server.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video for streaming is a
video of a live event, and the method further comprises: streaming,
by the server, the video of the live event in real time.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, at the
server, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server assigning a genre to the video for
streaming.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, at the
server, whether a request for the server to stream the video for
streaming is from an entity registered with the server.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining is based on an
identifier and password received from the entity.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with
instructions, which when executed by a server causes the server to
execute a method comprising: receiving, at the server, a video for
streaming by the server from a user through a communication channel
between the server and a computer; transmitting, at the server, a
user interface to the computer, the user interface enabling the
user that provided the video for streaming to the server to
indicate, with a button on the interface, whether an advertisement
is reproduced with the video for streaming; and receiving, at the
server, an instruction indicating, with a button on the interface,
whether the user that provided the video for streaming to the
server allows the advertisement to be reproduced with the video for
streaming.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, at the server,
an instruction from the user that provided the video for streaming
to the server selecting the advertisement that is reproduced with
the video for streaming.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, at the server,
an instruction from the user that provided the video for streaming
to the server indicating a company that sponsors the advertisement
that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: providing money to the
user that provided the video for streaming to the server based on a
number of times the video is streamed by the server.
14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: providing money to the
user that provided the video for streaming to the server based on a
number of times the video is reproduced by a computer
communicatively coupled to the server.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the video for streaming is a video of a live event, and
the method further comprises: streaming, by the server, the video
of the live event in real time.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, at the server,
an instruction from the user that provided the video for streaming
to the server assigning a genre to the video for streaming.
17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
10, wherein the method further comprises: determining, at the
server, whether a request for the server to stream the video for
streaming is from an entity registered with the server.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
17, wherein the determining is based on an identifier and password
received from the entity.
19. An apparatus comprising: a memory that stores computer
executable instructions; and a processor, programmed by the
instructions, to receive a video for streaming by the apparatus
from a user through a communication channel between the apparatus
and a computer, transmit a user interface to the computer, the user
interface enabling the user that provided the video for streaming
to the apparatus to indicate, with a button on the interface,
whether an advertisement is reproduced with the video for
streaming, and receive an instruction indicating, with a button on
the interface, whether the user that provided the video for
streaming to the apparatus allows the advertisement to be
reproduced with the video for streaming.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to receive an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the apparatus selecting the advertisement that is
reproduced with the video for streaming.
21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to receive an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the apparatus indicating a company that sponsors the
advertisement that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to calculate an amount of money for the user that provided the
video for streaming to the apparatus based on a number of times the
video is streamed by the server.
23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to calculate an amount of money for the user that provided the
video for streaming to the apparatus based on a number of times the
video is reproduced by a computer communicatively coupled to the
server.
24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the video for streaming is a
video of a live event, and the processor is programmed to stream
the video of the live event in real time.
25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to receive an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the apparatus assigning a genre to the video for
streaming.
26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is programmed
to determine whether a request for the apparatus to stream the
video for streaming is from an entity registered with the
apparatus.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is programmed
to determine whether the request for the apparatus to stream the
video for streaming is from the entity registered with the
apparatus based on an identifier and password received from the
entity.
28. A method comprising: uploading a video for streaming to a
server by a computer of a user that is providing the video for
streaming to the server; receiving, by the computer, a user
interface from the server, the user interface enabling the user
that provided the video for streaming to the server to indicate,
with a button on the interface, whether an advertisement is
reproduced with the video for streaming; and transmitting, by the
computer, an instruction indicating, with a button on the
interface, whether the user that provided the video for streaming
to the server allows the advertisement to be reproduced with the
video for streaming.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising: transmitting, by
the computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server selecting the advertisement that is
reproduced with the video for streaming.
30. The method of claim 28, further comprising: transmitting, by
the computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server indicating a company that sponsors the
advertisement that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
31. The method of claim 28, further comprising: receiving money
based on a number of times the video is streamed by the server.
32. The method of claim 28, further comprising: receiving money
based on a number of times the video is reproduced by a computer
communicatively coupled to the server.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein the video for streaming is a
video of a live event, and the method further comprises:
instructing the server to stream the video of the live event in
real time.
34. The method of claim 28, further comprising: transmitting, by
the computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server assigning a genre to the video for
streaming.
35. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with
instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer
to execute a method comprising: uploading a video for streaming to
a server by the computer of a user that is providing the video for
streaming to the server; receiving, by the computer, a user
interface from the server, the user interface enabling the user
that provided the video for streaming to the server to indicate,
with a button on the interface, whether an advertisement is
reproduced with the video for streaming; and transmitting, by the
computer, an instruction indicating, with a button on the
interface, the user that provided the video for streaming to the
server allows the advertisement to be reproduced with the video for
streaming.
36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the
computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server selecting the advertisement that is
reproduced with the video for streaming.
37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the
computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server indicating a company that sponsors the
advertisement that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the method further comprises: receiving money based on
a number of times the video is streamed by the server.
39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the method further comprises: receiving money based on
a number of times the video is reproduced by a computer
communicatively coupled to the server.
40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the video for streaming is a video of a live event, and
the method further comprises: instructing the server to stream the
video of the live event in real time.
41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
35, wherein the method further comprises: transmitting, by the
computer, an instruction from the user that provided the video for
streaming to the server assigning a genre to the video for
streaming.
42. An apparatus comprising: a memory that stores computer
executable instructions; and a processor, programmed by the
instructions, to upload, to a server, a video for streaming from a
user that is providing the video for streaming to the server,
receive a user interface from the server, the user interface
enabling the user that provided the video for streaming to the
server to indicate, with a button on the interface, whether an
advertisement is reproduced with the video for streaming, and
transmit an instruction indicating, with a button on the interface,
whether the user that provided the video for streaming to the
server allows the advertisement to be reproduced with the video for
streaming.
43. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is programmed
to transmit an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server selecting the advertisement that is
reproduced with the video for streaming.
44. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is programmed
to transmit an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server indicating a company that sponsors the
advertisement that is reproduced with the video for streaming.
45. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is programmed
to receive an indication of money provided to the user based on a
number of times the video is streamed by the server.
46. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is programmed
to receive an indication of money provided to the user based on a
number of times the video is reproduced by a computer
communicatively coupled to the server.
47. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the video for streaming is a
video of a live event, and the processor is programmed to instruct
the server to stream the video of the live event in real time.
48. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is programmed
to transmit an instruction from the user that provided the video
for streaming to the server assigning a genre to the video for
streaming.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a profit redistribution device,
profit redistribution method, program storage medium, profit
redistribution system, content providing device, content providing
method, program storage media, and content providing system, and
more particularly, is suitably applied to a computer network system
providing content through the Internet, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case that a content consisting of videos and/or voices
created by an individual is provided over the Internet in a
computer network system, it has been generally practiced up until
now that a user opens his/her homepage created with the use of the
personal computer.
In such a case where an individual opens homepages as in the above,
a user acquires a homepage creation program by means of a personal
computer, based on which homepages are created, hyper-linked with a
plurality of content, which are stored in the server of an Internet
service provider (this is referred to as "ISP" hereinafter).
The ISP provides homepages from the server to a client accessing it
through the Internet, and when the anchor on the homepages is
clicked, a hyper-linked content is provided subsequently.
With a banner advertisement displayed on the homepage, when a user
of a client clicks a banner advertisement, the ISP transmits the
detailed content of the banner advertisement to let the client
watch and listen to it.
In such a computer network system as structured above, in the case
that a banner advertisement is shown on a homepage, there has been
a problem that a content creator has not been distributed a share
of the ISP's profits proportionate to the number of accesses of the
content creators content, even though the g large amount of
accessing made by clients to that homepage is due to the high
popularity of the content creators content. However, this is in
spite of the fact that the ISP receives remuneration proportionate
to the number of accesses to the homepage from the advertisement
client.
Furthermore, in the above structured computer network system,
however, to let a user watch and listen to the banner advertisement
on the homepage provided to the client, it is necessary to let the
banner advertisement be clicked. However, any banner advertisement
not of interest to the user is not clicked. Thus, it is not always
possible to let the user watch and listen to the detailed content
of the banner advertisement.
Furthermore, it is not an easy job to create a homepage with a
banner advertisement with the personal computer, which has caused a
problem of forcing a homepage creator to follow complicated
operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, first object of the invention is to
provide a profit redistribution device, profit redistribution
method, program storage medium, and profit redistribution system
capable of carrying out a fair profit redistribution proportionate
to the number of accesses made to the content with advertisement
information.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a content
providing device, content providing method, program storage media,
and content providing system that may make it easier to provide
advertisement information to users of clients.
The foregoing first object, as well as other objects, of the
invention have been achieved by the provision of a profit
redistribution device, profit redistribution method, program
storage medium, and profit redistribution system in which
advertisement information supplied from an advertisement client is
affixed to a content supplied from content storing and providing
means, thus storing up a content with advertisement information,
which is offered to clients over a network responding to demands
from clients, resulting in creation of points proportionate to the
number of providing the content with advertisement information to
clients, thereby performing profit redistribution processing
proportionate to the number of accumulated points to the content
providing means.
The number of times of providing the content with advertisement
information to clients is equivalent to the number of times the
advertisement information is provided to clients. Points are
generated proportionately to the number of times the content with
advertisement information is offered. Accordingly, by performing
profit redistribution processing proportionate to the number of
accumulated points to the content providing means, a fair profit
redistribution processing can be realized, proportionate to the
number of times the content with advertisement information is
offered
The foregoing second object, as well as other objects, of the
invention have been achieved by the provision of a content
providing device, a content providing method, a program storage
media, and content providing system in which a content is stored in
a given storage area as well as a content with advertisement
information created by appending advertisement information to the
content, and providing means, and such that content providing
condition data is received and retained, which is preset to provide
either a content or a content with advertisement information,
followed by the selection of either the content or the content with
advertisement information following the content providing condition
data upon receipt of a demand from a client. Therefore, either the
content or the content with advertisement information selected is
provided to the client from the content storage and providing means
over a network.
When the content providing condition data is set to a mode to
provide the content with advertisement information, the content
with advertisement information is provided to the client responding
to the demand for the content. Therefore, the user is forced to
watch and listen to the advertisement information without fail,
without the user being aware of the existence of the advertisement
information when demanding the content.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more
apparent from the following detailed description when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are
designated by like reference numerals or characters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram used in explaining the principle of
electronic commercial dealings utilizing the Internet;
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a
content providing system of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a user
PC;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a desktop screen;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a user information
registration screen;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a user information file;
FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a
content provider;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a user registration procedure
processing sequence in the management server of an ASP;
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a user
information DB table registered in user information database;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a capture screen;
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a confirmation screen;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an editing screen;
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an on-demand type personal
casting control screen;
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a pulldown menu;
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing my channel genre screen;
FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a codec selection
screen;
FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an on-demand type providing
schedule management screen;
FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a commercial providing
request screen;
FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a commercial link setup
screen;
FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a content ID setup
screen;
FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a on-demand
type providing schedule control file;
FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a connection processing sequence to
an ASP in the on-demand type;
FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the confirmation and changing
processing sequence of a providing schedule;
FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence in the
on-demand type;
FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing the homepage screen of a
personal casting service;
FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing the genre table screen for
my channel;
FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing a channel display screen
regarding a "car" video genre;
FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screen
indicating content matching a selected channel button;
FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing a live type personal casting
control screen;
FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing the display processing sequence of a
live type providing schedule management screen;
FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing a live type providing
schedule management screen for public channels;
FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing the content of live type
providing schedule control file;
FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing a reservation processing
sequence;
FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing a live type providing
schedule management screen for my channel;
FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a live type
providing schedule control file for my channel;
FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a reservation unable message
display screen;
FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing a connection processing sequence to
an ASP in the live type;
FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence
conducted through my channel in the live type;
FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram showing a live video schedule
display screen for my channel;
FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screen
showing the content of a live video matching a selected channel
button;
FIG. 41 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence
conducted through a public channel in the live type;
FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram showing a channel display screen for
public channels;
FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram showing a live video schedule
display screen for public channels;
FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screen
indicating the content of a live video selected at the music live
channel;
FIG. 45 is a schematic diagram showing a contribution amount
selection screen;
FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing the providing processing sequence of
content with commercial video; and
FIG. 47 is a flowchart showing a profits redistribution processing
sequence.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings:
(1) Principle of Electronic Commerce Utilizing the Internet
The Internet is a computer network system configured by connecting
a great number of computers to one another by means of a
communication link, which is designed such that information can be
transmitted and/or received among the computers with the use of
various services such as e-mail, Gopher, and World Wide Web
(WWW).
As shown in FIG. 1, a WWW server 301 (also called "Web server" or
"Web site", etc.), which provides a variety of services contained
in the WWW to a client Personal Computer (PC) 302-1 to 302-N via
the Internet, stores Web pages composed of graphic information such
as figures and images on the internal hard disk.
Each resource used on this WWW 301 or Web pages, etc., can be
recognized unmistakably with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), an
advertisement technique to make a distinction on the Internet
300.
Accordingly, when the URL of Web pages a user wants to peruse is
appointed by the user for example following a specified transfer
protocol for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and so on, a
client PC 302-1 to 302-N connected to the Internet 300 makes a
demand to the WWW server 301 for reading the Web pages in
accordance with the URL.
Upon receiving the Web pages transmitted from the WWW server 301 as
a result of the demand to the WWW server 301, the client PC 302-1
to 302-N lets its display unit show the Web pages through a WWW
browser stored in advance on the internal hard disk of the client
PC, thereby enabling the user to read the Web pages.
A Web page is typically defined with the use of Hyper Text Markup
Language (HTML), and an HTML document defining the Web page
includes signs called tags (reserved words) regulated by HTML which
specify how the Web page should be displayed.
For additional information, an HTML document includes various tags
to indicate graphics, control, and other functions, and is
concurrently capable of appointing as a linkage point the URL of a
Web page usable with a WWW server 301 or other WWW servers, from
which the reading of the Web page is demanded.
Accordingly, Web pages are to be shown on the display unit of
client PC 302-1 to 302-N in a display method intended by the
provider of the Web pages.
In recent years, however, the foregoing WWW has come into use in
electronic commerce utilizing the Internet 300.
In this case, Web pages composed of commodity catalogs,
electrically tabling products for sale, are prepared in a WWW
server 301, which are transmitted to a client PC 302-1 to 302-N
owned by a client responding to his/her demand for inspecting
them.
In this way, a client PC 302-1 to 302-N lets the display unit show
Web pages received from the WWW server 301 over the Internet 300,
consequently letting a client inspect the catalogs of commodities
for sale.
When a user specifies articles to purchase on the Web pages of the
commodity catalogs shown on the display unit, a client PC 302-1 to
302-N notifies the WWW server 301 of that effect over the Internet
300.
Upon receiving the purchase order, the WWW server 301 demands
client information from a client PC 302-1 to 302-N, and receives
from a client PC 302-1 to 302-N the client information including
the name of a client purchasing products, credit card number owned
by the client, and the address the products are to be delivered
to.
Next, upon receipt of the above client information, the WWW server
301 transmits a Web page to a client PC 302-1 to 302-N confirming
an order for the products, and allowing the client to confirm the
content of the order on the Web page. Subsequently, the client
arranges for the goods to be delivered.
In electronic commercial dealings utilizing the Internet 300 in
this way, electronic commercial dealings can be applied to a
variety of goods in the form of an electronic content such as
music, which is electronically delivered to a clientele over the
Internet 300, or to physical products such as personal computers,
which are delivered to a clientele by home delivery firms.
Incidentally, there is another method to define Web pages in
addition to HTML; namely what is called extensible Markup Language
(XML). As is the case with the HTML, XML uses tags, but XML is
capable of expressing the structure and meaning of a document, and
of appointing attributes such as hierarchical structure and data
type for tags by Document Type Definition (DTD).
Accordingly, in the WWW server 301, if a Web page is defined with
the use of XML, data for information processing such as an order
acceptance code, commodity code, unit price, and quantity retained
in advance in database, for example, can be embedded into various
tags respectively, so that the Web page can be used not only for
inspecting, but for automatically carrying out information
processing on calculating orders using data for information
processing embedded into the tags.
(2) Structure of Content Providing System
The 1 in FIG. 2 shows a content providing system that realizes
electronic commercial dealings utilizing the Internet, which
comprises a Personal computer (PC) 2, which a content creator uses,
a content provider 3 for storing a content created by the user PC 2
to be offered as required by a client, plurality of client's PC 4
(4A to 4N) receiving the content specified on the Web site from the
content provider 3, an online communication sales company 6, with
which a content creator does online shopping over the Internet 5
through a user PC 2, and a commercial client (called a commercial
client hereinafter) 7 creating a commercial image (called
commercial image hereinafter) and asking the content provider 3 to
provide commercial images to the client PC 4, all connected one
another over the Internet 5.
This content providing system 1 is a system wherein profits the
content provider 3 receives are duly redistributed to a content
creator (this is called "profit redistribution" hereinafter) in
accordance with the number of accesses a client PC 4 has made to
personal content created with a user PC 2, which may encourage the
content creator to make more excellent content, and which may
configure an entirely new business model over the Internet 5, with
the aim of increasing the number of accesses a client PC 4 makes to
Web sites. Further, profit redistribution (or profit give back)
refers to a share of the profits to be given back to the content
creator.
A content provider 3, online communication sales company 6, and
commercial client 7 enclosed in the broken lines shown in FIG. 2,
are affiliated with one another and form a business alliance 8,
which performs profit redistribution processing in various modes to
a content creator (user PC 2).
(3) User Registration Procedure for User PC
In this content providing system 1, a user PC 2 first needs to
carry out a user registration procedure in respect to a content
provider 3, which is explained in detail hereinafter.
As shown in FIG. 3, a user PC 2 comprises a CPU 10, hard disk drive
(HDD) 12, Random Access Memory (RAM) 13, Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 interface 14, network
interface 16, and display unit 17 of a liquid crystal display, all
connected to one another over a bus 11.
In a user PC 2 like this, in addition to Operating System (OS) or a
basic program, various kinds of other application software are
stored on the HDD 12, which are turned on in RAM 13 as occasion
arises to perform a specific process.
That is, in the user PC 2, as shown in FIG. 4, when an online
signup icon 20 on a desktop screen 19 (a Window screen of Microsoft
Corporation) appearing on the display unit 17, is clicked by a
content creator with the OS turned on, the CPU 10 starts up an
automatic online signup software from the HDD 12, and lets the
display unit 17 show a user information registration screen 21 as
shown in FIG. 5.
This user information registration screen 21 is used to register
user information when applying for a personal casting service as
the screen title indicates. Following the screen, a content creator
enters his/her name, address, telephone number, e-mail address,
date of birth, credit card number, first desired user ID, second
desired user ID, third desired user ID, desired channel name,
password, password confirmation, and finally, selects either an
"as-much-as-I-like course" or "beginner's course" as an application
for the service.
The personal casting service is a content providing mode newly
started in the content providing system 1 of the present invention
employing two content providing modes called an on-demand type and
a live type, respectively The details of these two content
providing modes are described in detail later in this document.
The user information registration screen 21 depicts a cancel button
22, used to void the content of user information entered by the
content creator, and an application button 23, used to make an
application with the user information entered by the content
creator.
Accordingly, when the application button 23 is clicked after the
user information is entered, the CPU 10 of a user PC 2 creates a
user information file 25 containing a content similar to that on
the user information registration screen 21 (FIG. 5) as shown in
FIG. 6, which is transmitted from a network interface 16 (FIG. 3)
to the content provider 3 in a given protocol over the Internet 5
(FIG. 2), and concurrently writes and retains the user information
file 25 on the HDD 12.
A content provider 3 consists of an Internet service provider
(called "ISP" hereinafter) 31 connecting a user PC 2 to the
Internet 5 as shown in FIG. 7, and an application service provider
(called "ASP" hereinafter) 32 storing contents supplied from a user
PC 2, which are provided to a client PC 4 as required.
An Internet service provider 31 includes: a control server 33 to
supervise the whole operation, a charge management database 34 for
managing charges to a user PC 2, and a network interface 35 for
connecting the user PC 2 to a network over the Internet 5; all of
which are connected to one another over a Local Area Network (LAN)
42. Charge management and network control are achieved under the
control of the control server 33.
A application service provider 32 includes: a management server 36
to supervise the whole operation, a user information database 37 to
manage the user information file 25 of a user PC 2, a schedule
management database 38 to manage the providing schedule of a
content, a content server 39 to store and provide a content, a
viewer information database 40 to manage viewer information
regarding a client PC 4 (viewer) being a watcher and tabulator of a
content, and commercial management database 44 to store and manage
a commercial image supplied from a commercial client 7, and to
match it with the commercial image identification (ID); all of
which are connected to one another over the LAN 43. Application
service provider is designed to conduct user information
management, to provide schedule management, to provide content
storing, to provide processing, to provide viewer information
management, and to provide commercial management under the control
of the management server 36.
The content provider 3 receives a user information file 25
transmitted from a user PC 2 when conducting the user registration
procedure at the management server 36 through the network interface
35 of the ISP 31 and the network interface 41 of the ASP 32.
Upon receipt of the user information file 25, the management server
36 of the ASP 32 starts a routine RT1 shown in FIG. 8 from the
start step and moves to step SP1, following a user registration
procedure program invoked out of the internal hard disk.
At step SP1, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the
content of the user information file 25 transmitted from a user PC
2 and checks the number of figures of a credit card number, and,
when the number of figures turns out to be correct, it proceeds to
the next step SP2.
If, however, the credit card number does not consist of correct
figures, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 notifies the user
PC 2 of that effect over the Internet 5, prompting the user to
enter the credit card number with the correct figures.
The management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the user
information database 37 at step SP2, and checks to see whether the
credit card number of the user information file 25 transmitted is
duplicated, and, if not, and only in this case, it proceeds to the
next step SP3.
The management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the credit-granting
check server 26 of a credit card company with its network interface
41 over the Internet 5, and check to see whether that credit card
number is valid at the step SP3, and only when the credit card
number is in a usable state, it proceeds to the next step SP4.
At step SP4, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the
user information database 37 again, and checks to see whether
desired first to third user IDs are already in use, and only when
any of the first to third desired user IDs is not used yet, it
proceeds to the next step SP5.
At the step SP5 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 selects the
unused user ID most highly desired out of the desired first to
third IDs, and after determining a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
matching the user ID, creates a user information DB table 45 as
shown in FIG. 9 based on the user information file 25, which is
registered anew into a user information database 37. Then, it moves
to step SP6.
Added to the user information DB table 45 newly registered into the
user information database 37 are, in addition to the content of the
user information file 25, a URL determined matching the user ID,
number of accumulated points the content creator has acquired,
which is needed for the content creator when receiving a profits
redistribution, user status (stage 1) indicating the rank of the
user proportionate to the number of accumulated points, connection
start time and date, connection end time and date, Internet
connection charges of the ISP 31 to the Internet 5 at the current
time, and service utilization charges for the applied service
("as-much-as-I-like course") of the ASP 32.
In this way, after determining a URL matching a user ID, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 has the URL registered into the
user information database 37, whereby granting a content creator a
right to create a movie file of a content created by the individual
content creator in the exclusive storage area predetermined in the
content server 39 oriented to the URL.
Also, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 manages a user
information data table 45 in the user information database DB 37 by
the content creator, and increases and renews the number of
accumulated points of the content creator in accordance with the
number of accesses made by a client PC 4, or alters the user status
of the content creator in accordance with the number of accumulated
points, or renews various kinds of data in order on connection
start time and date, connection end time and date, current Internet
connection charges, and service use charges for services
applied.
The user status is the rating of a content creator proportionate to
the number of accumulated points, rising from the lowest stage 1,
to stage 2, and then to professional stage. Such being the case,
the higher the user status of a content creator, more profit
redistribution he/she may receive.
At step SP6, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 lets the
network interface 41 notify the user PC 2 of a determined user ID
as well as a URL matching the user ID over the Internet 5.
At this time, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to supply
the user PC 2 with automatic upload software so programmed as "to
automatically connect to the URL matching the user ID and
automatically write the movie file of a content created by the user
PC 2 in the exclusive memory area in the content server 39 oriented
to the URL."
Thus, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 downloads the automatic upload
software over the Internet 5, and displays the upload icon 27 of
the automatic upload software on the desktop screen 19 (FIG. 4)
based on the automatic upload software.
Then, when the upload icon 27 of the desktop screen 19 is clicked
by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 connects to the
ASP 32 via the ISP 31 over the Internet 5 according to the
automatic upload software, and gives to the management server 36 of
the ASP 32 the instructions "to automatically write the movie file
of a content in the exclusive memory area in the content server 39
oriented to the URL."
Due to the above, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 can write
the movie file of the content supplied from the user PC 2 in the
exclusive memory area of the content server 39 based on the URL,
and read out the movie file of the content from the exclusive
memory area of the content server 39 responding to a demand from a
client PC 4. In response to the demand, the movie file of the
content is provided to the client PC 4.
In this way, once the automatic upload software is downloaded from
the ASP 32 with the user ID designated and URL determined according
to the user information registration procedure followed by the
content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 makes it increasingly
easier to upload the movie file of a content into the exclusive
memory area of the content server 39 merely by the content creator
performing a click operation on the upload icon 2 without letting
the content creator consciously enter the URL.
As a result, in the content providing system 1, it is possible to
configure a system as if to open a personal broadcast station
offering a content through one's own exclusive channel (this is
called "my channel" hereinafter).
With the user registration procedure processing completed, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a user registration
completion notification mail at the step SP7, which is transmitted
from the network interface 41 to the user PC 2 over the Internet 5,
completing all the user registration procedure processing at the
step SP8.
Meanwhile, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to transmit a
personal user information DB table 45, as required, to the control
server 33 of the ISP 31 to form a business alliance, a telephone
company (not shown in figures) connects a communication line from
the user PC 2 to an access point of the ISP 31, and to an online
communication sales company 6.
Consequently the control server 33 of the ISP 31 and the online
communication sales company 6, are to hold the user information DB
table 45.
Accordingly, all the user PC 2 is asked to do is just perform the
user registration procedure processing at the very first, and is
not forced to follow a troublesome procedure whenever accessing an
ISP 31, a telephone company, an online order sales company, and so
on.
Incidentally, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to obtain a
content creator's consent, in advance, while conducting a user
registration procedure to transmit the content of a personal
information DB table 45 to the control server 33 of an ISP 31, a
telephone company, and an online communication sales company 6.
(4) Mode of Personal Casting Service
In the content providing system of the present invention 1, there
is an on-demand type and a live type as content providing modes in
the personal casting service as mentioned before.
The on-demand type is a service wherein a content is stored in
advance in the exclusive memory area of the content server 39
oriented to a URL of a user PC 2 obtained at the time of user
registration for the personal casting service. A content is
provided to a client PC 4 when asked for by the client PC 4 through
the exclusive memory area of the content server 39. On-demand type
service functions as if it were the client PC's own exclusive
channel (my channel) or a personal broadcast station.
On the other hand, live type is a service mode wherein many and
unspecific registered users of the personal casting service use, on
a shared basis, the exclusive memory area by dividing by the time
schedule of the exclusive memory area. In one embodiment, an
exclusive memory area of the content server 39 designated by URLs
exists for a plurality of image channels of particular genres
(e.g., wedding channel, music live channel, theater live channel,
and event live channel). The content of a live image reproduced by
means of streaming is transmitted to a client PC 4 asking for it
via the exclusive memory area of the content server 39 in real
time.
In this way, the live type mode is designed such that many and
unspecific registered users can provide contents freely by
reserving a time frame in which to use the exclusive memory area of
the content server 39 designated by URLs by the video channel of a
specific genre, whereby making it possible to provide a content of
a live image to a client PC 4 requesting it as if through a public
video channel (this is called "public channel" hereinafter).
(5) Personal Casting Service by On-Demand Type
Next, a concrete explanation is given on the personal casting
service by the on-demand type of the content providing system
1.
(5-1) Content Creation Processing of On-Demand Type
The CPU 10 of a user PC 2 (FIG. 3) lets the display unit 17 display
a capture screen 50, as shown in FIG. 10, by first invoking image
capture software out of an HDD 12.
In this case, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 links a digital video
camera 18 connected through the IEEE1394 interface 14 and a capture
screen 50 turned on by the image capture software, followed by the
setup of the on-demand mode by a content creator clicking a movie
mode switching button 53.
Then the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the content creator confirm
an image photographed by the digital video camera 18 displayed on
the finder display area 51. Recording with the digital video camera
18 is started when the capture button 52 being clicked by the
content creator, and recording is ended when the capture button 52
is clicked again.
At this time, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 captures animation data
recorded on the digital video camera 18 through the IEEE1394
interface responding to the clicking of the capture button 52,
which is once recorded on the HDD 12.
Next, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 show a
confirmation screen 55 according to the image capture software as
shown in FIG. 11. On this confirmation screen 55 are formed a video
display area 56 to display reproduced movie data once recorded on
the HDD 12, time code display area 57 to indicate a time code for
the movie data being reproduced, date display area 58 to show the
date of recording, operation buttons 59 to reproduce, stop, fast
forward, or rewind movie data, delete button 60 to delete part or
the whole of movie data from the HDD 12, and OK button 61, which
enables a content creator to confirm the scenes of movie data
recorded on the confirmation screen 55 and to edit them so as to
have the only desired scenes kept.
When the content creator clicks the OK button 61 after confirming
and editing the scenes of the recorded movie data on the
confirmation screen 55, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 next invokes
edit software out of the HDD 12, and lets the display unit 17 show
an edit screen 65 as shown in FIG. 12.
Edit screen 65 includes three types of confirmation screen display
areas 66 to 68 capable of displaying the confirmation screen 55 for
the movie data recorded with the digital video camera 18, an order
button 69 to determine a composition order for the three kinds of
movie data, a composition button 70 to compose the three kinds of
movie data in a determined composition order, and an OK button
71.
Accordingly, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 determines a composition
order for the three kinds of movie data with the order button 69
clicked by the content creator, and creates a movie file by
compounding the three kinds of movie data in accordance with the
determined composition order responding to the click of the
composition button 70, which is once stored on the HDD 12 as a
content to be stored in the content server 39 of the ASP 32.
(5-2) Schedule Reservation in the On-Demand Type
Subsequently, when the OK button 71, or upload icon 27 on the
desktop screen 19 (FIG. 4) is clicked by the content creator, the
CPU 10 of the user PC 2 turns on the automatic upload software
downloaded in advance from the ASP 32 at the time of user
registration, and lets the display unit 17 display an on-demand
type personal casting control screen 75 as shown in FIG. 13.
On the on-demand type personal casting control screen 75 includes
the letters "On-Demand" in the mode display area 76 indicating that
the on-demand mode is set up currently, and the company name of the
ISP 31 in an ISP name display area 77 automatically. The letters
"My Channel" in an ASP channel display area 78, which is set up
automatically in the on-demand mode, is also displayed in the
on-demand type personal casting control screen 75.
Also, an option button 81 is located on the on-demand type personal
casting control screen 75, and when this option button 81 is
clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 displays a
pulldown menu 85, as shown in FIG. 14, on the on-demand type
personal casting control screen 75 based on the automatic upload
software.
This pulldown menu 85 includes a genre setup button 85A used to
appoint a video genre to a content created by the content creator,
a CODEC selection button 85B used to select a codec when providing
a content to a client PC 4 requesting it, a schedule reservation
button 85C used to enable the content creator to freely determine a
content providing schedule, a commercial providing request button
85D used to provide a commercial image affixed to the head portion
of a content as desired by the content creator, a commercial link
setup button 85E used to link to a homepage of, for example, a
commercial sponsoring company from a commercial video, and content
ID setup button 85F used to set up a content ID suitable for a
content.
When the genre setup button 85A is clicked by the content creator
out of the pulldown menu 85, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the
display unit 17 indicate "my channel genre" display screen 90 as
shown in FIG. 15 based on the automatic upload software.
The "my channel genre" screen 90 displays category icons 91 to 99
assorted by video category for the content creator to appoint a
video genre to the content. When any one ("car" category icon 92
for example) of them is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10
of the user PC 2 acknowledges the video genre of a content as
"car," and the result of which is once retained on the HDD 12 as
the category data.
Also, when the CODEC selection button 85B out of the pulldown menu
85 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2
lets the display unit 17 display a codec selection screen 100 as
shown in FIG. 16 on a basis of the automatic upload software.
CODEC selection screen 100 includes options for a variety of
codecs, which include, for example, Moving Picture Experts Group
(MPEG) 4, MPEG 2, or Real G2. When providing a content to a client
PC 4, if a check mark is put on the MPEG 4, for example, by the
content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 recognizes the type of
a codec as MPEG 4, the result of which is once retained on the HDD
12 as the codec type data.
Furthermore, when the schedule reservation button 85C out of the
pulldown menu 85 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of
the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display an on-demand type
schedule management screen 105 as shown in FIG. 17 on a basis of
the automatic upload software.
The on-demand type schedule management screen 105 includes a
calendar display area 106, video table display area 107, schedule
content display area 108, decision button 109, schedule content
confirmation button 110, and schedule content renewal button
111.
When the content creator click-selects a desired date (e.g.,
February 19) when a content is to be provided in the calendar
display area 106 on this on-demand type providing schedule
management screen 105, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 acknowledges a
providing date desired by the content creator as February 19.
Consequently, February 19 is once retained on the HDD 12 as the
providing date data, and the providing date (February 19) is
automatically written and displayed on the title area in the
schedule display area 108.
And, when a time schedule appoint bar 112 is appointed by the
content creator by clicking a desired start time and an end time in
the schedule content display area 108 on the on-demand type
providing schedule management screen 105, the CPU 10 of the user PC
2 acknowledges the time schedule frame from start time to end time,
and simultaneously displays the time schedule appoint bar 112
segmented by time schedule frames appointed by the content
creator.
The time schedule bar 112, in the schedule content display area
108, is displayed segmented into: first time schedule frame from
6:00 to 6:59:59, second time schedule frame from 7:00 to 7:59:59,
third time schedule frame from 8:00 to 8:59:59, fourth time
schedule frame from 9:00 to 10:59:59, fifth time schedule frame
from 21:00 to 21:59:59, and sixth time schedule frame from 22:00 to
23:59:59.
Subsequently, when a desired sign of the kinds (MA, MB, or MC)
indicating the kinds of videos (e.g., 4WD, sports car, electric
car) is clicked out of the video table display area 107 with a
desired time schedule frame on the time schedule appoint bar 112
click-selected by the content creator at the same time, the CPU 10
of the user PC 2 recognizes the video kind of a content to be
offered out of the selected first to sixth time schedule frames by
the kind sign (MA, MB, or MC), and the recognized kind signs are
displayed within the time schedule frames respectively on the time
schedule appoint bar 112.
Then, when the decision button 109 is clicked on the on-demand type
providing schedule management screen 105, the CPU 10 of the user PC
2 creates a providing schedule program to provide a content in the
determined kind reserved for each of the first to sixth time
schedule frames on the time schedule appoint bar 112, which is once
retained on the HDD 12.
The providing schedule program is programmed: to provide the
content of "4WD" corresponding to the kind sign MA when it receives
a demand for a time within the first time schedule frame on the
time schedule appoint bar 112 from a client PC 4; to provide the
content of "sports car" corresponding to the kind sign MB when it
receives a demand for a time within the second time schedule frame
from a client PC 4; to provide the content of "4WD" corresponding
to the kind sign MA when it receives a demand for a time within the
third time schedule frame from a client PC 4; to provide the
content of "sedan" corresponding to the kind sign MC when it
receives a demand for a time within the fourth time schedule frame
from a client PC 4; to provide the content of "sports car"
corresponding to the kind sign MB when it receives a demand for a
time within the fifth time schedule frame from a client PC 4; and
to provide the content of "4WD" corresponding to the kind sign MA
when it receives a demand for a time within the sixth time schedule
frame from a client PC 4.
Furthermore, when the commercial providing request button 85D from
among the pulldown menu 85 (FIG. 14) is clicked by the content
creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 show
a commercial providing request screen 115 as shown in FIG. 18 based
on the automatic upload software.
The commercial providing request screen 115 displays a commercial
desired button 115A and a commercial undesired button 115B. These
buttons ask the content creator whether he/she wishes to provide a
client PC 4 with a commercial video affixed to the head portion of
his/her content, so that only when the commercial desired button
115A is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2
creates commercial desired data indicating that a commercial video
is desired to be affixed to the content, which is once retained on
the HDD 12.
Furthermore, when the commercial link setup button 85E out of the
pulldown menu 85 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of
the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display a commercial link
setup screen 116 as shown in FIG. 19 based on the automatic upload
software.
Commercial link setup screen 116 displays a commercial link Yes
button 116A used to set up an anchor to link to the homepage of a
commercial sponsoring company, for example, from the commercial
video initially affixed to the content, and a commercial link No
button 116B used not to set up linkage from the commercial video.
Only when the commercial link Yes button 116A is clicked by the
content creator will the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 create commercial
link data to the effect that an anchor is desired to be set up to
link to a given homepage from the commercial video, which is once
retained on the HDD 12.
Furthermore, when the content ID setup button 85F is clicked by the
content creator out of the pulldown menu 85, the CPU 10 of the user
PC 2 lets the display unit 17 shows a content ID setup screen 117,
as shown in FIG. 20, based on the automatic upload software.
A content ID input area 117A is formed on the content ID setup
screen 117 when the execute key is depressed with a given content
ID matching a content entered by the content creator. The CPU 10 of
the user PC 2 acknowledges the content ID, which is once retained
on the HDD 12.
In this way, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 sets up various conditions
for offering a content according to the pulldown menu 85 displayed
by clicking the option button 81 on the personal casting control
screen 75. The CPU 10 newly creates an on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120, as shown in FIG. 21, based on the
various kinds of data (i.e., category data, codec kind data,
providing schedule program, commercial desired data, commercial
link data, and content ID) once recorded on the HDD 12, and the
content of the user information file 25 created when the user
registration procedure processing was performed, which is once
recorded on the HDD 12.
In the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 once
retained on the HDD 12 is stored as an ISP name (*****), as an "ISP
connection point" used in connecting to the Internet 5, a channel
type (my channel), as an "ASP channel" at the time when the ASP 32
provides content, a content ID (***) determined by the content
creator as "content ID." CODEC (MPEG 4) is stored as "CODEC" at the
time of providing content, video category (car) is stored as "video
genre", content (various conditions such as "schedule to be
provided from 6:00 February 19") of providing schedule data is
stored as "providing schedule", a with/without commercial providing
request (with commercial) is stored as "commercial request", a
with/without commercial link (without commercial link) is stored as
"commercial link", a user ID (kimkim) is stored as "user ID at the
time of user registration, and a password (*****) is stored as
"password" at the time of user registration.
Accordingly, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the video genre
display area 79 on the on-demand type personal casting control
screen 75 (FIG. 13) display the letters "car," which indicate that
the video category of content based on the on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120, and the letters "to be provided from
6:00 February 19" on the providing schedule reservation area
80.
It has been explained in effect that commercial link and a content
ID are set up by the user PC 2 with the use of the pulldown menu
85. However, they may be set up automatically on the side of the
management server 36 of ASP 32.
As to the commercial link setup, for example, when a link
appointment has been made in advance by a commercial client 7, the
commercial link is made automatically to a commercial determined to
be provided by a client PC 4.
Also, when an image is uploaded for example, a content ID is set up
automatically on the side of the management server 36 of the ASP
32. Thus, it possible to manage an image on the management server
36 of the ASP 32 with this ID.
(5-3) Connection Processing to ASP in On-Demand Type
Next, when the content of the on-demand type personal casting
control screen 75 (FIG. 13) is confirmed by the content creator
with the clicking of the connect button 82, the CPU 10 of the user
PC 2 starts a routine RT2 shown in FIG. 22 at the start step
following the automatic upload software, and moves on to step SP
11.
At step SP 11, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs into the ASP 32 from the
network interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the
ISP 31, and accesses the user information database 37 of the ASP 32
to obtain authentication based on the user ID, password, and so on,
and then moves to step SP12.
Having obtained authentication of the ASP 32 at step SP12, the CPU
10 of the PC 2 reads out an on-demand type providing schedule
control file 120 and the movie file of the content from the HDD 12,
which are transferred to the management server 36 from the network
interface 16 via the Internet 5, network interface 35 of the ISP
31, and network interface 41 of the ASP 32, and proceeds to the
next step SP13, terminating the processing.
In this way, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 is designed to be capable of
uploading the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120
and the movie file of the content into the ASP 32 following the
automatic upload software.
Upon receipt of the on-demand type providing schedule control file
120 and the movie file of the content through the network interface
41, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 registers the on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120 into the providing
schedule management database 38, and stores the movie file of the
content in the exclusive memory area of the content server 39
oriented to the URL obtained at the time of user registration by
the user PC 2.
In the case of a commercial providing request "with commercial" as
the content of the on-demand type providing schedule control file
120, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a movie file
with a commercial by affixing a commercial video supplied in
advance by the commercial client 7 and stored in the commercial
control database 44 to the head portion of the movie file of the
content, which is retained in the content server 39 once again.
In the meantime, the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges to the
user ID of the user PC 2 an Internet connection charge occurring
while the user PC 2 is uploading the on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120 and the movie file of the content into
the ASP 32, and renews the charge data of the charge management
database 34.
Also, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges the service
use charge of the ASP 32 to the user ID of the user PC 2, of which
data is transmitted to the charge management database 34 via the
network interface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP 31,
and renews the charge data of the charge management database
34.
Incidentally, when the user PC 2 has a contract for a fixed charge
service called "as-much-as-I-like course", the control server 36 of
the ASP 32 records in the user information database 37 the
connection time from connection start time and date to connection
end time and date only without performing charge processing with
the service use charge remaining fixed.
In the case where the content of the on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120 is confirmed after the on-demand type
providing schedule control file 120 and the movie file of the
content are uploaded into the ASP 32, the only thing the content
creator has to do is just click the schedule content confirmation
button 110 on the on-demand type providing schedule management
screen 105 (FIG. 17).
At this time the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a routine RT3 shown in
FIG. 23 at the start step, and proceeds to step SP15 following the
automatic upload of software.
With the schedule content confirmation button 110 clicked by the
content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 performs log-in processing
to the ASP 32 from the network interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the
Internet 5 and ISP 31 at the step SP15, and obtains authentication
on the user ID, and password, etc., by accessing the user
information database 37 of the ASP 32, and then proceeds to the
next step SP16.
The management server of the ASP 32 obtains authentication on the
user ID, and password, etc. The CPU 10 of the PC 2 is supplied with
the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 from the
providing schedule management database 38 at the step SP16, and
lets the display unit 17 show the on-demand type providing schedule
management screen 105 (FIG. 17) once again based on the on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120.
Like this, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display
the on-demand type providing schedule management screen 105, so
that the content creator can reconfirm the content of the on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120.
In the case that the content creator tries to modify the content of
the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 later, when
the decision button 109 is clicked after the modification of the
providing schedule is made on the on-demand type providing schedule
management screen 105, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 proceeds to the next
step SP17.
At the step SP 17 the CPU 10 of the PC 2 creates a new providing
schedule based on the content modified on the on-demand type
providing schedule management screen 105, based on which a new
on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 is created, and
then it proceeds to the next step SP18.
When the renewal button 111 on the on-demand type providing
schedule management screen 105 is clicked by the content creator,
the CPU 10 of the PC 2 transfers the new on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120 to the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, and
proceeds to the next step SP19, terminating the processing.
As a result, the control server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the
providing schedule management database 38 with the new on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120, based on which the
providing schedule of the content is to be managed in the
future.
(5-4) Content Providing Processing in On-Demand Type
A client PC 4, too, can make user registration to a content
provider 3 when receiving a content similarly as a user PC 2 can,
and in this case a user registration procedure should be made
following the user registration processing procedure of the routine
RT1 (FIG. 8), then a viewer information file with respect to the
user ID and password of the client PC 4 is registered in the viewer
information database 40 by the control server 36 of the ASP 32.
In the case that user registration is not made, a client PC 4 may
access directly, as a visitor, the web site of the personal casting
service provided by the ASP 32. The only user-registered client PC
4 is allowed to make a contribution easily to the content creator
of a content, by which the client is moved, or with which the
client sympathizes, or which the client feels excellent.
Explanation is given on the contribution later.
In practice, in such a case that a content is provided to a
user-registered client PC 4 in the on-demand type for example, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 starts a routine RT4 shown in
FIG. 24 at the start step following a content providing program
invoked from the hard disk installed inside of it, and then
proceeds to the step SP21.
At step SP21, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is logged in
by the client PC 4 and proceeds to the next step SP22, referring to
the viewer information file in the viewer information database 40
based on of the user ID and password sent from the client PC 4.
As a result of having referred to the viewer information file in
the viewer information database 40 based on the user ID and
password at the step SP22, the management server 36 of the ASP 32
judges whether the client PC 4 logging in is a legitimate
registered user.
A negative result, if obtained here, means that the user ID and
password do not match those registered in the viewer information
database 40, then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 returns to
the step SP21, and lets the client PC 4 perform log-in processing
again, prompting the client PC 4 to enter the correct user ID and
password.
On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the step
SP22, it means that the client PC 4 is a regular registered user,
then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves to the next step
SP23.
At step SP23, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads the HTML
file of a homepage in the personal casting service from the content
server 39 responding to an access by the client PC 4, which is
transmitted to the client PC 4 from the network interface 41 over
the Internet 5.
The client PC 4, having almost the same structure as the user PC 2
has, includes a CPU (not shown in figure) that receives the HTML
file of a homepage in the personal casting service transmitted from
the ASP 32, which is displayed on the display unit as a homepage
screen 125 (Netscape Communication Corp's Netscape navigator
screen) as shown in FIG. 25.
This homepage screen 125 displays an on-demand type my channel
selection button 127 to receive a supply of a content on an
on-demand mode selection display area 126 through my channel as
well as a live type public channel selection button 129 to receive
a supply of a content of a live video on a live mode selection
display area 128 through a public channel, and a live type my
channel selection button 130 to receive a supply of a content of a
live video through my channel.
When the on-demand type my channel selection button 127 is clicked
by the user on this homepage screen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4
transmits to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the
Internet 5 a mode selection signal indicating the selection of the
on-demand type my channel selection button 127.
At the step SP24 the management server 36 retrieves an HTML file
constituting a genre table screen for my channel from the content
server 39 based on the mode selection signal transmitted from the
client PC 4, which is transmitted to the client PC 4 from the
network interface 41 over the Internet 5.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the
genre table screen for my channel transferred from the ASP 32,
which is displayed on the display unit as the genre table screen
135 for my channel as shown in FIG. 26.
This genre table screen 135 for my channel is almost similar to the
genre table screen 90 (FIG. 15) for my channel the content creator
uses in selecting a video genre of content, with a category icon
136 to 144 assigned to each video category displayed on it.
When any one (e.g., "car" category icon 137) of those category
icons 136 to 144 is clicked by the user of the client PC 4 on the
genre table screen 135 for my channel, the CPU of the client PC 4
transmits to the management server 36 over the Internet 5 a genre
selection signal corresponding to the "car" category icon 137.
At step SP25, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves the
HTML file of the channel display screen as to the video category
"car" from the content server 39 based on the genre selection
signal transmitted from the client PC 4, which is transmitted to
the client PC 4 from the network interface 41 over the Internet
5.
In this way the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of
the channel display screen transmitted from the ASP 32, which is
displayed on the display unit as a channel display screen 150
regarding the video genre "car" as shown in FIG. 27.
On this channel display screen 150 are displayed channel buttons
151 to 159, each assigned with a channel name (Kimura Ch) set up in
the user information DB table 45 (FIG. 9) at the time when the
content creator conducted user registration processing. A user is
to click-select a desired channel button (e.g., Kimura Ch) out of
them.
At the step SP26 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges
whether a desired channel button 155 is click-selected by the user
of the client PC 4 watching the channel display screen 150.
In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits to the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5 a content ID
set up responding to the channel button 155 selected by the
user.
Accordingly, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 acknowledges
that a desired channel button 155 is clicked at the place where the
content ID is received, and captures a URL matching the channel
button 155, referring to the on-demand type providing schedule
control file 120 stored in the providing schedule management
database 38 based on the content ID.
A negative result, if obtained at step SP26, means that none of the
channel buttons 151 to 159 displayed on the channel display screen
150 is selected by the user, and then the management server 36 of
the ASP 32 stands by until any one of the channel buttons 151 to
159 is selected.
If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP26, however, it
means that a user-desired channel button 155 is click-selected out
of the channel buttons 151 to 159, and then the management server
36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to the next step SP27.
Upon receipt of a content ID matching a clicked channel (e.g.,
Kimura CH) 155 from the client PC 4 over the Internet 5, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 refers to the on-demand type
providing schedule control file 120 based on the content ID, and
retrieves a movie file with commercial of a certain kind (MA, MB,
or MC) of a video to be provided at the timing of the channel
button 155 clicked from the exclusive memory area in the content
server 39 based on a URL matching the content ID, which (retrieved
movie file) is transmitted to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5,
and then it goes to the next step SP28, terminating the
processing.
In practice, if a channel button (e.g., Kimura Ch) 155 is clicked
by the user at 10:55 a.m. on February 19 for example, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 refers to the on-demand type
providing schedule control file 120 and transmits to the client PC
4 the movie file with commercial of a movie kind "Sedan" in
accordance with the providing schedule on the schedule content
display area 108 appointed on the on-demand type providing schedule
management screen 105 (FIG. 17).
Due to this, the client PC 4 lets the display unit display a
content display screen 165 as shown in FIG. 28 based on the movie
file with commercial received, and a commercial movie is first
displayed in a display area 166 formed in the center of the content
display screen 165, with an animated image of a car "sedan"
displayed subsequently.
In this way, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to transmit
to the client PC 4 one kind of a movie file with commercial to be
provided at the timing when a channel button 151 to 159 is clicked
by the user of the client PC 4 in accordance with the content of
the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is capable of
transmitting a content swiftly without delay, consuming a narrower
bandwidth of a transmission line, even when transmitting the same
content to a plurality of clients PC 4 almost at the same time
responding to their demands, compared to the case where a plurality
of contents need to be transmitted simultaneously at a certain
timing.
Also, at this time, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 counts
the number of the clicks by a client PC 4 as the access number
every time a movie file with commercial is provided to a client PC
4 responding to the click operation.
In this case, the access times counted being equivalent to the
number of people watching the commercial video, the management
server 36 of the ASP 32 is designed to give points proportionate to
the number of access times to the content creator, so that a fair
profit redistribution goes to the content creator who creates a
most frequently accessed content, with the points of that content
creator registered in the user information DB table 45 matching the
user ID, which is stored in the user database 37.
(6) Personal Casting Service in Live Type
Next, a concrete explanation is given on the personal casting
service by the live type of a content providing system 1.
(6-1) Schedule Reservation in the Live Type
In the live type, to provide a content of a live video in real time
it is not necessary to create the movie file of a content and to
have it stored in the content server 39 of the ASP 32 in advance as
done in the on-demand type.
In the live type, however, since a content is to be provided
through a common public channel (wedding ceremony channel, music
live channel, theater live channel, or event live channel), it is
necessary to reserve in advance a time schedule frame in which to
use a public channel.
To reserve a time schedule frame in which to use a public channel
is to reserve a time schedule frame in which to use the exclusive
memory area of the content server 39 assigned, oriented to the URL
of each public channel.
In practice, when the ASP 32 provides a content of a live video, it
once writes the movie file of a live video sent from a user PC 2 in
the exclusive memory area of the content server 39 appointed with
the URL for each public channel, which is retrieved to be
output.
To make a reservation for a time schedule frame in which to use a
public channel, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 first lets the display unit
17 display a capture screen 50 (FIG. 10) by turning the image
capture software on as is the case with the on-demand type.
After the live mode is set up responding to the click operation of
the movie mode switching button 53 on the capture screen 50, the
CPU 10 of the PC 2 invokes the automatic upload software downloaded
in advance from the ASP 32 at the time of user registration, and
lets the display unit 17 display a live type personal casting
control screen 170 as in FIG. 29, which has the same reference
numerals as those assigned to the corresponding parts in FIG.
13.
The live type personal casting control screen 170 displays the
letters "LIVE" indicating that the live mode is set up currently on
the mode display area 171, displays the letters "PUBLIC CHANNEL"
set as default in the live mode on the ASP channel display area
172, and displays a schedule reservation button 173 in place of the
option button 81 on the on-demand type personal casting control
screen 75 (FIG. 13).
The live type personal casting control screen 170 also displays the
name of a public channel (e.g., "MUSIC LIVE") on a video genre
display area 79 determined by the content creator at the time of
reserving a time schedule frame, out of four (4) types of channels:
wedding ceremony channel, music live channel, theater live channel,
and event live channel set up as public channels.
Furthermore, the live type personal casting control screen 170
displays the providing time and date of a content of a live video
reserved by the content creator, in the providing schedule
reservation display area 80 as done in the on-demand type.
In the live type personal casting control screen 170 described
above, when the schedule reservation button 173 is clicked by the
content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 turns on the automatic
upload software downloaded from the ASP 32, and starts a routine
RT5 shown in FIG. 30, at the start step, and proceeds to step
SP31.
At step SP31, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 from the
network interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the
ISP 31, and obtains authentication based on the user ID, and
password, etc., by accessing the user information database 37 of
the ASP 32, then moves on to step SP32.
At the step SP32, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 receives over the Internet
5 a live type providing schedule control file on the reservation
status of the public channel retrieved by the management server 36
of the ASP 32 from the providing schedule management database 38,
which is recorded on the HDD, and it proceeds to step SP33.
At step SP33, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17
display a live type providing schedule management screen 175, as
shown in FIG. 31, for a public channel based on the live type
providing schedule control file on the reservation status of a
public channel supplied from the ASP 32, and then it terminates the
processing at the next step SP34.
This live type providing schedule management screen 175 displays
four (4) types of public channel buttons: wedding ceremony Ch
button 176, music live Ch button 177, theater live Ch button 178,
and live event Ch button 179, oriented to a wedding ceremony
channel, music live channel, theater live channel, and event live
channel respectively.
When the music live Ch button 177 is clicked for example by a
content creator out of the four types of public channels, the CPU
10 of the PC 2 displays in a schedule content display area 180 the
current reservation status of the "MUSIC LIVE CHANNEL" based on the
live type providing schedule control file.
On a schedule time plan table 182 in the schedule content display
area 180 is displayed the reservation status on the date of the
current day as a default, and when a desired reservation data
(e.g., February 19) in the calendar display area 181 is clicked by
the content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 displays a reservation
status of a desired reservation date (February 19) regarding the
music live channel in the schedule time plan table 182 based on the
live type providing schedule control file.
The content creator is to confirm the reservation status on a
desired reservation date (February 19) displayed on the schedule
time plan table 182 and to appoint a desired start time (e.g.,
10:00) and end time (10:59:59) out of the "vacant" time schedule of
a time schedule appoint bar 183 with the cursor, whereby
determining a time schedule frame 183A for a content of a live
video to be provided.
By performing the above processing, the CPU 10 of the PC 2
acknowledges as the reserved time schedule frame data the start
time and end time of the time schedule frame 183A specified by the
content creator, which is additionally written in the live type
providing schedule control file, displaying "FULL" in the time
schedule frame 183A.
If the content creator enters the name (e.g., "xx tour") of a
content to be provided in the reserved time schedule frame 183A,
that name is automatically added to the live type providing
schedule control file oriented to a given content ID.
When a check mark is affixed to the MPEG 4 for example as a codec
when providing a content of a live video out of the codec selection
display area 184, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 acknowledges the type
of a selected codec as MPEG 4, the result of which is added to the
live type providing schedule control file as the codec type
data.
Out of a commercial desired button 185 by which a client PC 4 wants
a commercial video provided, affixed to the head portion of
content, and a commercial undesired button 186 by which the client
PC 4 indicates that a commercial video is not desired to be
provided, when the commercial desired button 185 is clicked by the
content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 creates commercial desired
data by which a commercial video is desired to be affixed to the
content of a live video, which is added to the live type providing
schedule control file.
Thus, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 performs various settings to provide a
content of a live video through a music live channel as a public
channel, thereby creating a new live type providing schedule
control file 189 as shown in FIG. 32, which is once recorded on the
HDD 12.
In the live type providing schedule control file 189, there is
stored an ISP name (*****) used when connecting to the Internet 5
as an "ISP connection destination", there is stored a channel type
(public channel) used as an "ASP channel" when the ASP provides a
content of a live video, the title (xx tour) of a content is stored
as the "name of a content", codec (MPEG 4) is stored as "CODEC" at
the time of providing, type of a public channel (music live
channel) selected by the content creator is stored as a "public
channel" matching a content of a live video, there is store a time
and date (various conditions such as a providing schedule from
10:00, February 19), with/without commercial providing request
(with commercial) is stored as "commercial request", user ID
(kimkim) is stored as the "user ID" at the time of user
registration, and a password (*****) is stored as the "password" at
the time of user registration.
When the reservation button 187 on the live type providing schedule
management screen 175 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10
of the PC 2 starts a routine RT6 at the start step, and then the
moves on to step SP41 following the automatic upload of the
software.
At step SP41, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 with the
network interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the
ISP 31, and obtains authentication based on the user ID and
password, etc., by accessing the user information database 37 of
the ASP 32, and then it proceeds to the next step SP42.
At the step SP42, having obtained authentication of the ASP 32, the
CPU 10 of the PC 2 transfers a newly created live type providing
schedule control file 189 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32
over the Internet 5, and it proceeds to the next step SP43.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the providing
schedule management database 38 with the use of the live type
providing schedule control file 189 transferred from the user PC 2,
and subsequently reads out the live type providing schedule control
file 189 again from the providing schedule management database 38,
which is sent back to the user PC 2.
At this time the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges,
oriented to the user ID, as a service use charge, a reservation fee
for performing reservation processing anew to have the content of a
live video provided to the user PC 2, and renews the user
information DB table 45 in the user information database 37.
At step SP43, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 receives a supply of the
renewed live type providing schedule control file 189 with the
providing schedule management database 38 renewed, and lets the
display unit 17 display the live type providing schedule management
screen 175 again for confirmation based on the live type providing
schedule control file 189, and it proceeds to the next step SP44,
terminating the processing.
The live type providing schedule management screen 175 displayed at
this time is with the time schedule frame 183A indicated, segmented
in a specific color, with the letters "FULL" for confirmation on
the part of the content creator, whereby the content creator can
easily acknowledge the schedule of a content reserved by
himself/herself.
In such a case, however, that a reservation can not be made due to
the indication of "FULL" for a desired time schedule frame on the
time schedule appoint bar 183 in the schedule time plan table 182,
in which a content of a live video is to be provided as a result of
confirming the reservation status indicated in the schedule content
display area 180 on the live type providing schedule management
screen 175 (FIG. 31) for a public channel, a content of a live
video can not be provided through that public channel.
If the my channel button 188 is clicked by the content creator
located at the lower part of the live type providing schedule
management screen 175 at such a time, the CPU 10 of the PC 2
receives a supply of an on-demand type schedule control file 120 in
the providing schedule management database 38 from the management
server 36 of the ASP 32, and displays a live type providing
schedule management screen 190 for my channel, as shown in FIG. 34,
appears based on the on-demand type providing schedule control file
120.
My channel schedule content display area 191 includes: my channel
genre table area 195, codec selection area 205, commercial desired
button 206, commercial not desired button 207, and reservation
button 208. The live type providing schedule management screen 190
for this my channel is designed to be capable of making a
reservation for providing a content of a live video utilizing a
"vacant" time schedule other than the reserved time schedule frames
(time schedule frames indicated by MA and MB) on the time schedule
appoint bar 194, in which a content is to be provided in the
on-demand type.
In this case, too, when a desired reservation date (e.g., February
19) in the calendar display area 192 in the my channel schedule
content display area 191 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU
10 of the PC 2 has the reservation status on a desired reservation
date (February 19) for my channel displayed on the schedule time
plan table 193 based on the on-demand type providing schedule
control file 120.
Accordingly, the content creator can confirm the reservation status
displayed on the schedule time plan table 193, appoint a desired
start time (e.g., 10:00) and end time (10:59:59) with the cursor
out of the "vacant" time schedule on the time schedule appoint bar
194, and determine a time schedule frame 194A in which to provide a
content of a live video through my channel.
Due to the above, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 acknowledges as the
reserved time schedule frame data: the start time and end time
indicated in the time schedule frame 194A determined by the content
creator, concurrently displaying the letters "FULL" in the time
schedule frame 194A, with the reserved time schedule frame data
once recorded on the HDD 12.
Next, when the clicking is made on the category (music) icon 199
oriented to the video genre of a live video out of the category
icons 196 to 204 displayed in the my channel genre display area
195, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 acknowledges the category of the
selected video genre as "music", the result of which is once
recorded on the HDD 12 as the category data.
At this time the CPU 10 of the PC 2 indicates the letters "music"
in the time schedule frame 194A on the time schedule appoint bar
194, replacing the letters "FULL".
Subsequently, when a check mark is put on the MPEG4, for example,
as a codec in providing a client PC 4 with a content of a live
video out of the codec selection display area 205, the CPU 10 of
the PC 2 acknowledges the selected codec type as MPEGA4, the result
of which is once recorded on the HDD 12 as the codec type data.
Out of a commercial desired button 206 by which a client PC 4 wants
a commercial video provided, affixed to the head portion of a
content, and a commercial undesired button 207 by which a client PC
4 indicates that a commercial video is not desired to be provided,
when the commercial desired button 206 is clicked by the content
creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 also creates commercial desired
data by which a commercial video is desired to be affixed to a
content of a live video, which is once recorded on the HDD 12.
Thus, with various settings made to provide a live video of music
live as a content in my channel as described above, when the
reservation button 208 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU
10 of the PC 2 creates a new live type providing schedule control
file 210 for my channel as shown in FIG. 35, which is transferred
to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5 to be
recorded in the providing schedule management database 38.
When a plurality of content creators make a reservation for
providing a content of a live video through my channel, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 puts a limitation on the number
(e.g., up to 10 pieces) of contents of a live video allowed to be
provided in the same time schedule frame.
Accordingly, when the management server 36 of the ASP 32 detects
that the number allowed to provide in a given time schedule frame
desired by a content creator has reached the upper limit based on a
providing schedule program invoked from the internal hard disk, it
does not accept a live type providing schedule control file 210 for
my channel to be sent from the user PC 2 thereafter, and it
retrieves image data on a reservation unable message display screen
stored in advance in the providing schedule management database 38,
which is transmitted to a user PC 2 over the Internet 5.
The CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display a
reservation unable message display screen 212 as shown in FIG. 36
based on the image data of the reservation unable message display
screen, thereby notifying the content creator of the fact that "the
desired time schedule frame is already fully booked, in which to
provide a content of a live video on the real time".
Because of this, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 can provide
a content of a live video to a client PC 4 without fail on the
real-time without a tie-up or delay in providing a content due to
possible problems on processing performance and the bandwidth of a
line because the upper limit of the number of contents allowed to
be provided simultaneously can never be exceeded, thus preventing
the quality of a content of a live video from being
deteriorated.
As described hitherto, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 can selects a method
out of two; to provide a content of a live video on the real time
at a desired time on a desired date reserved, or to provide through
a public channel, or through my channel when all the public
channels are already booked.
Accordingly, the content creator of a user PC 2 is to select a
method to provide through my channel when providing a live video on
the real time over an amateur band he/she operates on, or it is
possible to select a method to provide through a public channel
when providing a live video of a famous professional artist.
The content providing service system 1 is designed such that either
the on-demand type or live type may be selected as a content
providing mode in consideration of a content or users watching and
listening in to the content.
(6-2) Connection Processing to ASP in the Live Type
Having finished reservation processing for the time and date on
which to provide the content of a live video, the CPU 10 of the PC
2 next lets the display unit 17 indicate the live type personal
casting control screen 170 (FIG. 29) again.
At this time, the content creator recognizes the content of a
reservation when providing the content of a live video by
confirming the live type personal casting control screen 170, and
starts recording on the photographing spot with a digital video
camera 18 (FIG. 3) when the reserved start time approaches, with
the connection button 82 clicked to provide the content of a live
video on the real time.
Then, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a routine RT7 shown in FIG. 37
following the automatic upload of software at the start step, and
proceeds to step SP51.
At step SP51, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 with the
network interface 16 over the Internet 5 and ISP 31, and accesses
the user information database 37 in the ASP 32 to obtain
authentication based on the user ID and password, etc., and then
moving on to the next step SP52.
At step SP52, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the management server 36
of the ASP 32 confirm the content of a live type providing schedule
control file 189 (FIG. 32) stored in the providing schedule
management database 38 based on the user ID and password, and then
it moves on to the next step SP53.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 confirms the content
of the live type providing schedule control file 189 in the
providing schedule management database 38, so that the PC 2 can
recognize the reservation status regarding a content of a live
video to be provided.
At the step SP53 the CPU 10 of the PC 2 is given an instruction
command to "Transmit content of live video" from the management
server 36 of the ASP 32 when the reserved start time arrives, and
judges whether the reserved start time has arrived based on that
instruction command.
A negative result, if obtained at this point, means that the
instruction command has not been given from the management server
36, and the CPU 10 stands by until an instruction command is given
from the management server 36 of the ASP 32.
On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the step
SP53, it means that the instruction command is given from the
management server 36 of the ASP 32, and the CPU 10 judges that the
start time has arrived, and it proceeds to step SP54.
At step SP54, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a transferring process
to transfer the content of a live video being recorded with the
instruction command given from the management server 36 of the ASP
32 as the trigger to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 on the
real time over the Internet 5. The process is terminated at step
SP55.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 records the content of
the live video transferred from the user PC 2 in the exclusive
memory area in the content server 39 assigned to the public
channel, which is stream-reproduced and provided to a client PC 4
requiring it on the real time.
At this time, the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the
Internet connection charges occurring while the user PC 2 is
transferring the content of the live video to the ASP 32 over the
Internet 5, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, and renews
the charge data in the charge management database 34.
Meanwhile, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges the
service use charge of the ASP 32, oriented to the user ID of the
user PC 2, of which charge data is transmitted to the charge
management database 34 via the network interface 41 and the network
interface 35 of the ISP 31, renewing the charge data of the charge
management database 34.
In the case that the user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate service
contract called "as-much-as-I-like course, the management server 36
of the ASP 32 records only the connection period from connection
start time and date to connection end time and date on the user
information DB table 45 in the user information database 37, and no
service use charge is charged, remaining fixed.
(6-3) Providing Processing of Content in the Live Type
Similarly to the case of receiving a supply of a content in the
on-demand type, user registration is possible in the case where a
client PC 4 receives a supply of a content of a live video in the
live type, and in this case, the user registration procedure is to
be made following the user registration procedure processing
protocol of the routine RT1 (FIG. 8). The management server 36 of
the ASP 32 carries out the registration of a viewer information
file into the viewer information database 40, oriented to the user
ID and password of the client PC 4.
When user registration is not made, a client PC 4 may directly
access, as a visitor, the Web site of the personal casting service
provided by the ASP 32. Only those clients PC 4 who made user
registration are allowed to make a contribution easily to the
content creator of a content, by or with which they are moved or
sympathize, or if they feel the content is excellent.
In practice, when a content of a live video is provided to a client
PC 4 having conducted user registration through my channel in the
live type for example, the management server 36 of the ASP starts a
routine RT8 shown in FIG. 38 at the start step, following a content
providing program invoked from the internal hard disk, and moves on
to the step SP61.
At the step SP61 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is logged
in by the client PC 4, and moves to the next step SP62, referring
to the viewer information file in the viewer information database
40 based on the user ID and password transmitted from the client PC
4.
At the step SP62 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges
whether the client PC 4 logging in is a registered regular user as
a result of having referred to the viewer information file in the
viewer information database 40 based on the user ID and
password.
A negative result here, if obtained, indicates that the user ID and
password do not match those registered in the viewer information
database 40, and then the management server 36 of the ASP 32
returns to the step SP61, prompting the client PC4 to enter the
correct user ID and password to perform the log-in processing
again.
If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP62, it means
that the client PC 4 is a registered regular user, and the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to the next step
SP63
At step SP63, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the
HTML file of the homepage of the personal casting service from the
content server 39 responding to the access by the client PC 4,
which is transferred to the client PC 4 from the network interface
41 over the Internet 5.
At this stage the client PC 4 receives at its CPU the HTML file of
the homepage of the personal casting service transmitted from the
ASP 32, which is displayed on the display unit as a homepage screen
125 (FIG. 25).
When the live type my channel selection button 130 in the live mode
selection display area 128 is clicked by the user on this homepage
screen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a mode selection
signal indicating the selection of the live type my channel
selection button 130 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over
the Internet 5.
At step SP64, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the
HTML file forming a genre display screen for my channel from the
content server 39 based on the mode selection signal transmitted
from the client PC 4, which is transmitted from its network
interface 41 to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the
genre display screen for my channel transmitted from the ASP 32,
which is shown on the display unit as a genre display screen 135
(FIG. 26) for my channel.
When any one (e.g., the "music" category icon 139) of the category
icons 136 to 144 is clicked by the user of a client PC 4 on this
genre display screen 135 for my channel, the CPU of the client PC 4
transmits a genre selection signal matching the "music" category
icon 139 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the
Internet 5.
At step SP65, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves the
HTML file forming the live video schedule display screen regarding
the video category "music" from the content server 39 based on the
genre selection signal transferred from the client PC 4, which is
transmitted from its network interface 41 to the client PC 4 over
the Internet 5.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file forming the
live video schedule display screen transferred from the ASP 32,
which is shown on the display unit as a live video schedule display
screen 220 for my channel as shown in FIG. 39.
On the live video schedule display screen 220 for my channel are
formed a calendar display area 221 indicating dates, schedule
content display area 222 indicating a providing schedule on which
to provide the content of a live video through my channel, and
channel type display area 224 indicating the channel name currently
being provided in my channel.
The current date (e.g., February 19) is displayed in a shaded frame
221A on the calendar display area 221, so that the user of the
client PC 4 can easily acknowledge the current date.
On the schedule content display area 222 is indicated a time
schedule frame (a period from 15:00 to 16:59:59) of the content of
live video the ASP 32 can provide at the current time (e.g.,
15:10), which indicates that a content of each live video can be
provided at the current time through my channel matching plural
types (up to 10 Ch) of channel buttons 225 to 229 displayed in the
channel type display area 224.
At the step SP66 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges
whether a desired channel button ("Kimura" channel) 226 for example
is selected by the user of the client PC 4 watching the live video
schedule display screen 220 for my channel.
In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 acknowledges a URL set up
oriented to the selected channel button 226, and a channel
selection signal indicating that the URL is transmitted to the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, by which
the management server 36 of the ASP 32 acknowledges that the
desired channel button 226 is clicked when the channel selection
signal is received.
A negative result at step SP66, if obtained, indicates that none of
the channel buttons 225 to 229 displayed in the channel type
display area 224 on the live video schedule display screen 220 is
selected, and then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 stands by
until any one of the channel buttons 225 to 229 is selected.
If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP66, however, it
means that a user-desired channel button 226 is click-selected out
of the channel buttons 225 to 229, and then the management server
36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to the next step SP67.
At step SP67, the management server 36 of the ASP 32
stream-reproduces movie data, with commercial, of a live video to
be provided at the time of clicking out of the exclusive memory
area (oriented to the "Kimura" channel) in the content server 39,
which is transmitted to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5, and it
proceeds to the next step SP68 where the processing terminates.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 lets the display unit show the
content display screen 240 of the live video as shown in FIG. 40
based on the movie data with commercial of the content transferred
from the ASP 32, first displaying the commercial video in a movie
display area 241 located in the center of the content display
screen 240 followed by a movie showing the state of the music
live.
The content of a live video being transmitted to the client PC 4,
the management server 36 of the ASP 32 can not provide the content
from the beginning as done in the on-demand type, so that the
content of the live video is provided from midway, reproduced in
streaming at the moment of the clicking.
Even in this case, however, when the commercial providing request
is set to "with commercial" by the content creator of the user PC
2, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 transmits the commercial
video to the client PC 4 without fail before providing the content
of the live video.
Accordingly, the client PC 4 can not watch and listen in to the
content of the live video immediately from the moment when the
user-desired channel button 226 is clicked, but the content of the
live video can be watched and listened in to only after the
commercial video is first watched and listen in to.
In this way, even when providing a content of a live video to a
client PC 4, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is designed to
force the user of the client PC 4 to watch and listen in to the
commercial video regardless of the user's will.
At this time, the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the
Internet connection charge occurring while the user PC 2 is
transmitting the movie data of a content of a live video to the ASP
32 over the Internet 5, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2,
resulting in the renewal of the charge data in the charge
management database 34.
At the same time the management server 36 of the ASP charges the
service use charge occurring while the movie data of the content of
the live video being supplied from the user PC 2 over the Internet
5 is reproduced and streamed through the content server 39,
oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, of which data is
registered on the user information DB table 45 in the user
information database 37, the content charge is simultaneously
recorded in the charge management database 34 through the network
interface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP 31.
In the case that the user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate service
contract called "as-much-as-I-like course," the management server
36 of the ASP 32 records only the connection period from connection
start time and date to connection end time and date on the user
information DB table 45 in the user information database 37, and no
service use charge is charged. Thus, the fee remains fixed.
On the other hand, when a content of a live video is provided to a
user-registered client PC 4 through a public channel for example,
the management server 36 of the ASP 32 enters into a routine RT9
shown in FIG. 41. The start step, follows a content providing
program being invoked from the internal hard disk.
The steps SP71 to SP73, being similar to the steps SP61 to SP63 of
the routine RT8 where a content of a live video is provided through
my channel, the management server 36 of the ASP transfers the HTML
file of the homepage of the personal casting service to a client PC
4 through the network interface 41 over the Internet 5.
Thus, the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the personal
casting service transmitted from the ASP 32, which is displayed on
the display unit 17 as the homepage screen 125 (FIG. 25).
When the live type public channel selection button 129 in the live
mode selection display area 128 is clicked by the user on this
homepage screen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a mode
selection signal indicating the selection of the live type public
channel selection button 129 to the management server 36 of the ASP
32 over the Internet 5.
At step SP74, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the
HTML forming the channel display screen for public channels from
the content server 39 responding to the mode selection signal
transmitted from the client PC 4, which is transmitted to the
client PC 4 from its network interface 41 over the Internet 5.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the
channel display screen for the public channel transferred from the
ASP 32, which is displayed on the display unit as a channel display
screen 245 for the public channels as shown in FIG. 42.
When any one (e.g., the "music live" channel icon 247) out of video
channel icons 246 to 249 is clicked by the user of the client PC 4
on this channel display screen for the public channels 245, the CPU
of the client PC 4 transmits a channel selection signal matching
the "music live" channel icon 2347 to the management server 36 of
the ASP 32 over the Internet 5.
At the step SP75 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves
the HTML file forming the live video schedule display screen for
the public channels regarding the "music live" channel from the
content server 39 based on the channel selection signal transferred
form the client PC 4, which is transmitted from its network
interface 41 to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5.
Thus, the PC 4 receives the HTML file forming the live video
schedule display screen for the public channels transferred from
the ASP 32, which is shown on the display unit as the live video
schedule display screen 255 for public channels (255) as shown in
FIG. 43.
On the live video schedule display screen for the public channels
255 are formed a calendar display area 256 indicating dates, and
schedule content display area 257 indicating a providing schedule
on which to provide a content of a live video regarding the
selected "music live" channel.
The current date (e.g., February 19) is displayed in a shaded frame
256A on the calendar display area 256, so that the user of the
client PC 4 can easily acknowledge the current date.
On the schedule content display area 257 is indicated the title of
a content of a live video to be provided by the ASP 32 on February
19. In this case, it means a content of "live" is to be provided in
a first time schedule frame 257A from 6:00 to 8:59:59, content of
"xx tour" in a second time schedule frame 257B from 10:00 to
10:59:59, and a content of "concert" in a third time schedule frame
from 21:00 to 23:59:59.
On the live video schedule display screen 255 for the public
channels appears the second time schedule frame 257B matching the
current time in a different color from those for the first time
schedule frame 257A and the third time schedule frame 257C in the
schedule content display area 257 at the current time (e.g.,
10:09), whereby letting the user of a client PC 4 easily recognize
that the content of "xx tour" can be watched and listened to on
real time as at the current moment.
At step SP76, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether
the second time schedule frame 257B is available at the current
time (e.g., 10:09) and whether it is click-selected by the user of
the client PC 4 watching the live video schedule display screen 255
for the public channels.
In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 recognizes a URL set up to
the "music live" channel of the public channels when the second
time schedule frame 257B selected, and a channel selection signal
indicating the URL is transmitted to the management server 36 of
the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, by which the management server 36
of the ASP 32 acknowledges that the second time schedule frame 257B
is selected when the channel selection signal is received.
A negative result at this step SP76, if obtained, indicates that
the second time schedule frame 257B available at the current time
out of the schedule content display area 257 is not selected, and
then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 stands by until the
second time schedule frame 257B is selected.
If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP76, however, it
means that the second time schedule frame 2578 is selected out of
the schedule content display area 257, and then the management
server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to the next step SP77.
At step SP77, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reproduces, in
a streaming format, the movie data ("xx tour") with a commercial of
a live video to be provided in the "music live" channel at the time
of clicking out of the exclusive memory area, oriented to the
"music live" channel, in the content server 39, which is
transmitted to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5. The process
then proceeds to the next step SP78, which terminates the
process.
Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 lets the display unit show a
content display screen 260 of the live video as shown in FIG. 44
based on the movie data with commercial ("xx tour") of the live
video transferred from the ASP 32, and the live video ("xx tour")
matching the second time schedule frame 257B selected through the
"music live" channel in the movie display area 261 located in the
center of the content display screen 260.
In this case, too, a content of a live video is to be provided,
reproduced in streaming, from the moment of the second time
schedule frame 257B clicked, and when the commercial providing
request of a content is set to "with commercial", the commercial
video is first provided to the client PC 4 from the moment of the
clicking, following by the content of a live video.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to force the user
of the client PC 4 to watch and listen in to the commercial video
regardless of his/her will even when providing a content of a live
video to the client PC 4 through a public channel.
At this time the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the
Internet connection charge occurring while the user PC 2 is
transmitting the movie data of a content of a live video to the ASP
32 over the Internet 5, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2,
resulting in the renewal of the charge data in the charge
management database 34.
At the same time the management server 36 of the ASP records the
service use charge occurring while the movie data of a content of a
live video being supplied from the user PC 2 over the Internet 5,
is reproduced in a streaming format through the content server 39,
oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, of which data is
registered on the user information DB table 45 in the user
information database 37, and the service use charge is
simultaneously recorded in the charge management database 34
through the network interface 41 and the network interface 35 of
the ISP 31.
However, in the case that a user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate
service contract called "as-much-as-I-like course," the management
server 36 of the ASP 32 records only the connection period from
connection start time and date to connection end time and date on
the user information DB table 45 in the user information database
37, and no service use charge is charged. Thus, the fee remains
fixed.
(7) Contribution Processing by Client PC
The user of a client PC 4 is allowed to make a contribution easily
to a content creator if he/she is moved by or sympathizes with the
content provided, or if he/she feels that a content is
excellent.
When a user watching and listening to a content clicks a
contribution button 167, 242, or 262 placed respectively on the
content display screen 165 (FIG. 28) of the on-demand type
displayed on the display unit based on a movie file with commercial
of a content downloaded from the ASP 32, or on the content display
screen 240 (FIG. 40) and content display screen 260 (FIG. 44 of the
live type) displayed on the display unit based on a movie with
commercial of a content of a live video, the CPU of a client PC 4
has a contribution amount selection screen 270 as shown in FIG. 45
displayed next to the contribution buttons 167, 242, and 262
following a contribution program invoked from the internal hard
disk (not shown in figure).
On this contribution amount selection screen 270 are formed
contribution selection buttons 271 to 276 corresponding to the
various amounts of contributions, and the user of a client PC 4 can
click-select any contribution selection button out of the same
contribution amount buttons 271 to 276 freely corresponding to an
amount he/she wishes to contribute.
Accordingly, when the user clicks the contribution selection button
272 to make a contribution of 1,000, for example, the CPU of the
client PC 4 creates contribution data of the amount corresponding
to the selected contribution selection button 272, which is
transmitted to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the
Internet 5.
The management server 36 of the ASP 32 converts the contribution
data transmitted from the client PC 4 into points on the basis of a
given conversion rate, and retrieves a user information DB table 45
matching the content ID from the user information database 37,
renewing the accumulated number of points on the user information
DB table 45 with the points based on the contribution data.
The CPU of the client PC 4 creates charge data matching the
contribution data, which is transmitted to the management server 36
of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5. Thus, the management server 36
of the ASP 32 records the charge data for the contribution amount
in a viewer information file in the viewer information database 40,
along with the service use charge for the ASP 32 the client PC 4
used.
At the same time, the ISP 31 also charges the Internet connection
charge occurring while the client PC 4 is receiving a supply of a
content from the ASP 31 over the Internet 5, of which the amount is
recorded in the viewer information file in the viewer information
database 40 as well as in the amount management database 34.
Meantime, when a visitor other than registered users makes a
contribution to the content creator, the click of the contribution
buttons 167, 242, or 262 by the visitor lets the CPU of the client
PC 4 display a contribution amount selection screen 270 (FIG. 45)
as well as an input screen (not shown in the figure) for a credit
card number and other information, with which the visitor makes a
contribution, promoting the visitor to enter a credit card
number.
Consequently, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits the credit card
number data and the contribution data of an amount corresponding to
a contribution selection button to the management server 36 of the
ASP 32 over the Internet 5, which renews the number of accumulated
points on the user information DB table 45 with the points
corresponding to the contribution data.
The management server 36 of the ASP 32 transmits the contribution
data of the amount the visitor contributes to the charge management
database of a credit card company based on the credit card number
data, requesting the credit card company to perform charge
processing on the contribution by the visitor.
(8) Monthly Point Settlement Processing
Lastly, an explanation is given on the monthly points settlement
processing by which a profit redistribution is made to a content
creator, proportionate to the number of accumulated points on the
user information DB table 45 calculated by the month, but before
that, recapping the providing process procedure for content with
commercial video to be provided to a client PC 4, a routine RT10
shown in FIG. 46 is started at the start step, and it moves on to
step SP81.
At step SP81, the CPU of a client PC 4 acknowledges that a desired
channel button 155 is clicked by a user out of the channel display
screen 150 (FIG. 27), and then it proceeds to the next step
SP82.
At step SP82, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a content ID
matching the selected channel button 155 to the management server
36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, and then the process proceeds
to the next step SP83.
At step SP83, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 turns on a
content providing program invoked from the internal hard disk, and
retrieves the on-demand type schedule control file 120 out of the
providing schedule management database 38 based on the content ID
transmitted from the client PC 4 for example, and after confirming
the user ID and the content of a commercial request, it moves on
the next step SP84.
At step SP84, after confirming the on-demand type providing
schedule control file 120, the management server 36 of the ASP 32
judges whether the commercial request is set to "with
commercial".
A negative result, if obtained, means that a commercial video is
not appended to a content "without commercial" to be provided to
the client PC 4. Then, the management server 36 of the ASP 32
proceeds to the step SP87 to provide the movie file of the content
not appended with a commercial video, which terminates the
processing at step SP88.
If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP84, it means
that the commercial request is set to "with commercial," (i.e, a
commercial video affixed to a content to be provided to a client PC
4). Then, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to step
SP85.
At step SP85, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a
content of a movie file with commercial by appending a commercial
video stored in the commercial management database 44 to the head
portion of a movie file stored in the content server 39, which is
once stored in the content server 39. The the process moves on to
step SP86.
At step SP86, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the
number of accumulated points on the user information DB table file
45, in the user information database 37, with the points occurred
when a content of the movie file with commercial is provided to the
client PC 4. The process then proceeds to step SP87.
At step SP87, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out a
content of a movie file with commercial from the content server 39
when the commercial request is "with commercial", which is provided
to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5. Then, the process proceeds
to step SP88, which terminates the processing.
In the content providing system 1, when the management server 36 of
the ASP 32 reads out a content of a movie file with commercial from
the content server 39 with the commercial request set to "with
commercial" and provides it to the client PC 4, points are
generated. The number of accumulated points on the user information
DB table 45 is consequently renewed.
Next, in the content providing system 1, recapitulation is made on
the monthly points settlement processing procedure followed when
performing profits redistribution processing for a content creator,
matching the number of accumulated points on the user information
DB table 45 calculated by month. A routine RT11, shown in FIG. 47,
is started at the start step, and it proceeds to the step SP91.
At step SP91 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the user
information DB table 45 by adding to it the Internet connection
charge to the ISP31 and the service user charge of the ASP 32 by
the user PC 2 (when the "as-much-as-I-like course" is set up, the
service use charge remains fixed), and it proceeds to step
SP92.
At step SP92, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the
monthly number of accumulated points, referring to the user
information DB table 45 stored in the user information database 37.
Then, the process proceeds to step SP93.
At step SP93, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether
the number of accumulated points left over is greater than a given
number of points.
A negative result here, if obtained, means that the number of
accumulated points left over is not greater than a given number of
points. Then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to
step SP94.
At the SP94, since the number of accumulated points left over is
not greater than a given number of points, the management server 36
of the ASP 32 performs an invoicing process of the service use
charge at the current time to a user PC 2 without conducting
profits redistribution processing that matches the number of
accumulated points Then, the process proceeds to step SP101, which
terminates the processing.
If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP93, it means that
the monthly number of accumulated points left over is greater than
a given number of points. Then management server 36 of the ASP 32
proceeds to step SP95 to perform profits redistribution processing,
which is proportionate to the number of accumulated points.
At step SP95, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 subtracts the
amount of the service use charge of the ASP 32, proportionate to
the number of accumulated points on the user information DB table
45, and renews the user information AB table 45 by subtracting the
number of points proportionate to the service use charge subtracted
from the number of accumulated points on the user information DB
table 45. Then, the process proceeds to step SP96.
Thus, the service use charge charged through a credit card company
from the ASP 32 is subtracted or set off, so the content creator of
a user PC 2 is to receive a profit redistribution, which is
proportionate to the accumulated points.
At step SP96, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether
the number of accumulated points left over is greater than a given
number of points after the service use charge of the ASP 32 is
given back.
A negative result here, if obtained, means that the number of
accumulated points left over is smaller than a given number of
points. Then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to the
next step SP94 to perform invoicing processing on the service use
charge. The processing is terminated at step SP101.
On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the step
SP96, it indicates that the number of accumulated points left over
is greater than a given number of points. Then, management server
36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to step SP97.
At step SP97, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 subtracts the
amount of the Internet connection charge to the ISP 31 of a user PC
2 proportionate to the number of accumulated points, and renews the
user information DB table 45 by subtracting the number of points
proportionate to the Internet connection charge subtracted from the
number of accumulated points on the user information DB table 45.
Then the process proceeds to step SP98.
Thus, the Internet connection charge demanded through the credit
card company is subtracted or set off, so the a content creator of
the user PC 2 is to receive a profit redistribution proportionate
to the accumulated points following the service use charge of the
ASP 32.
At step SP98, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether
accumulated points are still left over at this moment, and if the
accumulated points greater than one million are left over, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to the next step
SP99.
At the step SP99, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 instructs
the credit card company to subtract the number of accumulated
points over one million from the settlement data through the credit
card company, and then renews the number of accumulated points by
subtracting the number of accumulated points over one million from
the number of accumulated points on the user information DB table
45. Then the process goes back to the step SP98.
If the number of accumulated points left over is smaller than one
million points, but greater than one hundred thousand at the step
SP98, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to step
SP100.
At step SP100, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 transfers
point data on the portion of the number of accumulated points over
one hundred thousand to an online communication sales company 6
over the Internet 5, and renews the number of accumulated points by
subtracting the number of points over one hundred thousand points
from the number of accumulated points on the user information DB
table 45. The process terminates at step SP101.
In this case, the online communication sales company 6 acknowledges
personal information including the address and e-mail address of a
content creator based on the contents of the user information SB
table 45 transferred from the ASP 32 at the time of user
registration, and delivers a given item (merchandise) proportionate
to the number of points over one hundred thousand to the content
creator of user PC 2, whereby performing profits redistribution
processing.
Furthermore, when the number of accumulated points left over is
smaller than one hundred thousand at step SP98, the management
server 36 of the ASP 32 moves to step SP94 to perform invoicing
processing on the service use charge. The processing is terminated
at step SP101.
(9) Operations and Effects of the First Invention in the Present
Mode of Embodiment
Structured as described hitherto, when the management server of the
ASP 32 provides a content of a movie file, with commercial, to a
client PC 4 over the Internet 5, points are generated. The number
of accumulated points on the user information DB table 45 is
renewed.
Then, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 performs such
operations or processing as subtracting or setting off a given
amount from the service connection charges to the ASP 32 of a user
PC 2, proportionate to the remaining number of points of the number
of accumulated points, subtracting or setting off a given amount
from the Internet connection charges to the ISP 31, subtracting or
setting off a given amount from the settlement data through a
credit card company, or providing an item (merchandise) to a
content creator of a user PC 2 through an online communication
sales company 6.
Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 performs profits
redistribution processing in various forms proportionate to the
number of accumulated points for a content creator who has created
a content of a movie file, with commercial, with the user PC 2,
attracting a large number of accesses, whereby performing a fair
profit redistribution processing to the interests of a commercial
client 7, proportionate to the degree of contribution, by providing
the content of a movie file with commercial to a client PC 4.
Also, a fair profit redistribution processing is performed in the
content providing system 1, proportionate to the number of times a
content of a movie file with commercial, is provided. This
encourages content creators to create many more excellent contents,
and concurrently enables a new business model to be configured over
the Internet 5 that may increase the number of accesses by clients
PC 4.
Structured as described hitherto, the management server 36 of the
ASP 32 in the content proving system 1 performs a profit
redistribution processing in various forms proportionate to the
number of left-over points of the number of accumulated points
generated proportionate to the number of content providing times.
Thus, a fair profit redistribution processing is performed for the
benefit of the content creators.
(10) Operation and Effect of the Second Invention in the Present
Mode of Embodiment
Structured as described hitherto, when a user PC 2 makes a
reservation for the schedule of a content, selection is made, on a
commercial providing request screen 115 (FIG. 18) for example, on
whether to provide a content of a movie file, affixed with a
commercial video, to a client PC 4, thereby creating an on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120, which is transmitted to
the control server 36 of the ASP 32.
The management server 36 of the ASP 32 receives the on-demand type
providing schedule control file 120, which is stored in the
providing schedule management database 38.
When the commercial request is set to "with commercial" as the
content of the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120,
the management server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a movie file, with
commercial, by affixing to the head portion of the movie file of
the content to a commercial video supplied by a commercial client 7
in advance. The movie file, with commercial, is stored in the
commercial management database 44, which is stored in the content
server 39.
Upon receipt of a demand for the content from the client PC 4, the
management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the content of a movie
file, with commercial, from the content server 39 following the
on-demand type providing schedule control file 120, which is
transmitted to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5.
Because of the above, the client PC 4 first displays a commercial
video on the content display screen 165 (FIG. 28) based on the
movie file, with commercial followed by the movie of the content,
so that the user is to first watch and listen in to the commercial
video when selecting a desired content regardless of whether the
user is aware of a commercial.
In this way, in the content providing system 1, it is possible to
let the user of the client PC 4 watch and listen in to the
commercial movie before the content. The user of client PC 4 merely
selects the content without being aware of a commercial. Thus, the
commercial client 7 may receive benefits matching the advertisement
effect of the commercial video, thereby letting the ASP 32 receive
a remuneration proportionate to the advertisement effect from the
commercial client 7. Thus, it is possible to structure a business
model, in which a fair profit redistribution is given to the
content creator of a content affixed with a commercial video.
Structured as described hitherto, in the content providing system
1, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 stores in the content
server 39 a movie file with a commercial video created by appending
a commercial video to the head portion of the movie file of a
content, and provides the movie file with commercial video
following the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120
when receiving a demand for the content from the client PC 4. Thus,
it is possible to let the user of a client PC 4 watch and listen in
to the commercial video without fail, by the user of client PC 4
merely selecting the content.
(11) Other Modes of Embodiment
In the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is given on the
case where a content of a movie is provided by the content server
39 as content storing and providing means. However, the present
invention is not limited to providing movies. A content of still
images or a content of music can also be provided. Moreover, an
explanation is given on the case where the commercial image is
appended to a content as advertisement information. However, the
present invention is not limited to that. It is also possible to
append commercial sound. In this case, too, the same effects as in
the above-described mode of embodiment can be obtained.
Also, in the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is given for
the first invention of the present invention, on the case where a
profit redistribution program to redistribute profits is
pre-installed in the hard disk in the management server 36 of the
ASP 32 as a profit redistribution processing means. Moreover,
explanation is given for the second invention of the present
invention, on the case where the content providing program, which
provides either a movie file or a movie file with commercial as a
content from the content server 39 in accordance with the on-demand
type providing schedule control file 120, is pre-installed in the
hard disk of the management server 36. However, the present
invention is not limited to this. A profit redistribution program
or a content providing program can be installed by means of
reproducing a program storing media composed of package media such
as a Compact Disc-Read only Memory (CD-ROM) and Digital Versatile
Disc (DVD) storing a profit redistribution program or a content
providing program. Furthermore, a profit redistribution program or
a content providing program can be installed by means of
reproducing program storing media such as a semiconductor memory or
magneto-optical disc capable of storing a profit redistribution
program or a content providing program temporarily or
permanently.
Furthermore, in the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is
given on the case where a movie file, with a commercial video, is
created by affixing a commercial video to the head portion of the
movie file, and the movie is stored in the content server 39 as
content storing and providing means, and the movie file, with a
commercial video, is provided from the content server 39 under the
control of the management server 36 as control means in accordance
with the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 as
content providing condition data stored in the providing schedule
management database 38 as storage means. However, the present
invention is not limited to this. A movie file, with a commercial
video created by affixing a commercial video to the ending portion
of the movie file, can also be provided.
Wired or wireless communication media such as a local area network
and digital satellite broadcast can be also used as means for
storing a profit redistribution program or a content providing
program into those program storing media. Also, a variety of
communication interfaces such as a router or modem can be
incorporated in the process of storing.
Furthermore, in the aforementioned mode of embodiment, explanation
is provided for the case where a client PC 4 is used as an object
the management server 36 of the ASP 32 provides a content to.
However, the present invention is not limited to this. A content
can be provided in response to demands through portable information
terminals or mobile telephones having a display, provided that they
be connected over the Internet 5. It is also possible to use
digital video cameras or digital still cameras with a communication
function. Moreover, in the user PC 2 of the content creator, a
content can be provided using portable information terminals or
mobile telephones having a camera. It is also possible with the
digital video cameras or digital still cameras with a communication
function.
Furthermore, in the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is
given on the case where the Internet 5 is used as a network.
However, the present invention is not limited to it, but a variety
of other networks composed of wired or wireless means can be
used.
According to the first invention of the present invention described
hitherto, the number of times of providing a content with a
commercial video being equivalent to the number of times clients
watch and listen in to the commercial video, it is possible to
carry out a fair profit redistribution by performing a profit
redistribution processing on the content providing means, and
matching the number of accumulated points proportionate to the
number of times of providing the content.
According to the second invention of the present invention
described hitherto, when content providing condition data is set to
a mode in which to provide a content with advertisement
information, a content with advertisement information is provided
to a client responding to a demand for the content, thereby forcing
the user to watch and listen in to the advertisement information
without fail, without the user being aware of the existence of the
advertisement information when demanding content.
While there has been described in connection with the preferred
embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled
in the art that various changes and modifications may be made.
* * * * *
References